Director of Research and Development

Kieran Madden

Kieran Madden is Maxim Institute’s Director of Research and Development, leading and guiding our research programme. With a Master’s in Public Policy from the Crawford School of Economics and Government at ANU, Kieran has considered a broad range of social policy issues, primarily focused on understanding and developing effective policies to reduce poverty in New Zealand.

Most recently, Kieran has been exploring the potential for character skills—things like perseverance, motivation, and self-control—to navigate the future of work in New Zealand. Kieran is also currently delving into the problem of loneliness and social isolation, a growing concern in these uncertain times.

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Researcher

‘Alapasita Teu

Joining the Maxim Institute research team in 2021, ‘Alapasita holds a Bachelor of Physical Education (Hons) and a Master in Public Health from the University of Otago. Her work includes leading research on factors that shape the academic success of Pacific students, as well as community research on Pacific youth, debt and family violence prevention. Currently working on research around poverty and predatory lending, ‘Alapasita is examining the implications of new credit law changes on third-tier lenders to vulnerable groups at risk of predatory lending.

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Senior Researcher

Marcus Roberts

Marcus Roberts joined the Maxim Institute as a Senior Researcher in 2022. Marcus has a background in the law, both in practice and academia. After practising in tax and insolvency litigation, he studied for his LLM at the University of Auckland and stayed on at that institution for a number of years, teaching in a variety of core law courses. His research interests include New Zealand’s broader constitutional framework, demographic change and New Zealand’s place in a rapidly changing Pacific and wider world.

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